Is training mandatory for working foster carers?

Training is a required part of becoming and remaining a foster carer. In England, a fostering service must make sure applicants are properly prepared and assessed before approval, and that approved carers continue developing the knowledge and skills needed for their role. This applies whether fostering is your main occupation or something you do alongside paid employment.

There is not one single course that every working applicant must take. The exact programme depends on the fostering service, the type of fostering being considered and the needs of the children who may be placed with you. However, the service will normally require you to complete its approved preparation training and any further learning identified during your assessment.

Before approval , training usually forms part of the preparation and assessment process. It helps you understand what fostering involves in practice and gives you an opportunity to consider whether it is suitable for your household. Topics may include:

• the responsibilities and standards expected of foster carers;
• children’s development, trauma and the effects of previous experiences;
• safeguarding, safer caring and managing risk;
• supporting identity, relationships and contact with birth family;
• positive behaviour support and caring for children with additional needs;
• working with social workers, schools, health professionals and other agencies; and
• record keeping, confidentiality and maintaining professional boundaries.

The training is not simply a formality. It gives you and your assessing social worker evidence to discuss when considering your skills, circumstances and support network. Attendance, participation and your understanding of the material may therefore contribute to the assessment recommendation. Completing a course does not by itself guarantee approval, because approval is based on the wider assessment of your suitability to foster.

After approval , training remains part of a foster carer’s responsibilities. Your fostering service will identify learning that is required for all carers and additional training linked to your individual circumstances or a child’s needs. This may include updates to safeguarding practice, training related to a particular health or developmental need, or learning recommended following supervision, reviews or a change in your fostering role.

Some learning may be described as mandatory, while other activities may be recommended or included in your personal development plan. The distinction matters: optional reading or wider development can broaden your skills, but it does not replace training that your fostering service has identified as required.

Previous experience does not automatically remove the requirement. Experience in teaching, childcare, social care, health work or another relevant field may help you understand the material and may be taken into account during assessment. Your fostering service will still need to confirm that you have completed its required preparation and that your knowledge covers fostering-specific responsibilities.

Working carers should discuss training commitments at the earliest stage. Ask the fostering service:

• which training must be completed before approval;
• which learning is required after approval and how it is recorded;
• how sessions are delivered and whether any parts can be completed remotely;
• how missed or incomplete training is dealt with; and
• whether your employer, partner or support network needs to be involved in planning attendance.

If employment makes a required session difficult to attend, tell your assessing social worker rather than assuming it can be skipped. The service may be able to discuss an alternative arrangement, but any alternative must still meet its preparation and safeguarding requirements. Outstanding mandatory training can delay progress through assessment, affect approval planning or lead to a review of the support needed for an approved carer.

In practical terms, mandatory training should be treated like any other essential responsibility of fostering. Before applying, consider whether you can make space for preparation, assessment-related learning and continuing development alongside your working pattern and family commitments. A fostering service can explain its specific requirements and help you understand what will be expected at each stage.